Notice to Autodesk Mechanical Desktop Customers

In a continuing effort to provide high quality products, Autodesk has released Mechanical Desktop 2008 Service Pack 2, which fixes or addresses a variety of issues pertaining to the following products:

• Autodesk Mechanical Desktop 2008
• AutoCAD Mechanical 2008

This README file highlights what has been fixed or addressed, where to download the update, and how to install it.

Contents

Prerequisites
Installation Instructions
Issues addressed by Autodesk Mechanical Desktop 2008 Service Pack 2
Miscellaneous Notes
Autodesk Mechanical Desktop 2008 Service Pack 2 download location

Prerequisites

The approximate size of Mechanical Desktop 2008 Service Pack 2 is 11.9MB for 32bit version and 32.5MB for 64bit version.

You must have a minimum of 100 MB of free disk space for temporary file creation.

Service Pack 2 is historical and may be applied to Mechanical Desktop 2008 regardless of whether Hotfix1 or Service Pack 1 has been applied or not. You must have administrative privileges to be able to install Mechanical Desktop 2008 Service Pack 2 on the following supported operating systems :

32 bit		64-bit
*	Microsoft Windows XP Professional, SP2	*	Microsoft Windows XP Professional, SP2
*	Microsoft Windows XP Home, SP2	*	Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise
*	Microsoft Windows 2000, SP4	*	Microsoft Windows Vista Business
*	Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise	*	Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate
*	Microsoft Windows Vista Business	*	Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
*	Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate	*	Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic
*	Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
*	Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic

Installation Instructions

Standalone installation

1. Download mdt2008_swl_sp2_x32.exe for 32 bit version or mdt2008_swl_sp2_x64.exe for 64 bit version of Mechanical Desktop 2008 Service Pack 2. This patch can be installed on the following flavors of Mechanical Desktop 2008 installed from :
   • Autodesk Inventor Suite 2008
   • Autodesk Inventor Professional 2008
   • Autodesk Inventor Routed Systems Suite 2008
   • Autodesk Inventor Simulation Suite 2008

Note: This Service Pack 2 will update all language versions. In previous releases, there were separate Service Packs for each language. This is not the case for Mechanical Desktop 2008 Service Pack 2.

2. Double click the installer to run it.
3. Once Mechanical Desktop 2008 Service Pack 2 installation is complete, a message informing you that the service pack has been successfully installed is displayed.

To verify if the Service Pack is properly installed, start Mechanical Desktop 2008 and at the command prompt, enter AMVER. A text window is displayed and should report "Autodesk Mechanical Desktop 2008 SP2" for 32bit version or "Autodesk Mechanical Desktop 2008 x64 SP2" for 64bit version. It is recommended that you restart Microsoft Windows after installation of the Service Pack.

Note: Once a service pack is applied, you cannot remove it by running an automatic uninstall program. To undo service pack changes, you will need to uninstall, and then reinstall the product.

Network deployment

It is not possible to create a new deployment tree based off an existing one. If you wish to keep a copy of your original Deployment tree, copy the original to another location prior to making changes.

To add the service pack to a new administrative image

1. From the Autodesk Product Support website, download the service pack .EXE file to your local computer.
2. The network deployment wizard requires a patch be an .MSP file. To extract the .MSP file from the Service Pack :
   1. On the Start menu (Windows), click Run.
   2. In the Open box, type the following information and click OK.
      <local_drive:>\<patch_name> /e <local_drive:>\< patch_name>.msp
3. Insert the product install disc and launch setup.exe.
4. Select Create Deployment.
5. Continue through the deployment wizard until you come to the Configuration page.
6. In the Configuration of Mechanical Desktop 2008, choose the Network license option and specify your license server location.
7. Click Next until you come to Include Service Packs page.
8. Click on the "..." button to browse to your .MSP file extracted in Step 2.
9. Verify that the service pack has been added to the Service packs included in this deployment box.
10. Continue through the configuration or click Configuration Complete.
11. Click Create Deployment to start deployment creation

To apply the service pack to an existing administrative image

1. From the Autodesk Product Support website, download the service pack EXE file to your local computer.
2. The network deployment wizard requires a patch be an .MSP file. To extract the .MSP file from the Service Pack :
   1. On the Start menu (Windows), click Run.
   2. In the Open box, type the following information and click OK.
      <local_drive:>\<patch_name> /e <local_drive:>\< patch_name>.msp
3. Browse to the location of the existing administrative image.
4. Double-click the Modify <deployment name> shortcut to launch the deployment wizard.
5. Continue through the deployment wizard until you come to the Configuration page.
6. In the Configuration of Mechanical Desktop 2008, Click Next until you come to Include Service Packs page.
7. Click the "..." button to browse to your .MSP file extracted in Step 2.
8. Verify that the service pack has been added to the Service packs included in this deployment box.
9. Continue through the configuration or click Configuration Complete.
10. Click Create Deployment to start your deployment creation.

Issues addressed by Autodesk Mechanical Desktop 2008 Service Pack 2

The following AutoCAD Mechanical issues are resolved by this Service Pack:

Fatal Errors Fixed

• Fatal error during import of IGES file.
• Fatal error when opening certain drawings.
• Fatal error when sorting a drawing from a previous release after deleting component in Mechanical Browser. 
• Fatal error when the values “cosh (90)”, “sinh (90)” and “tan (90)” are entered during editing of the AMPOWERDIM command.
• Fatal error when invoking command AMVISIBLE after setting CMDDIA=0.
• Fatal error when selecting assembly view inserted from the Structure Catalog.
• Fatal error when specific operations are performed in the AMNOTE dialog box.
• Fatal error when opening a migrated drawing.
• Fatal error when saving a drawing back to the AutoCAD Mechanical 2004 format.
• Fatal error when opening certain drawings; caused by having a “%” sign in their SOURCELANG setting.
• Fatal error when double clicking BOM node in Standard elements list in an old version file.
• Fatal error when changing the “Taper and Slope” enter in “AM: Standards” tab.
• Fatal error when invoking command AMUSERHATCH and AMHATCH_45_2 on certain drawings.
• Fatal error when closing the application if Structure Catalog ESW is open.
• Fatal error when a block with partref is created using BEDIT.
• Fatal error after import dimension styles from other drawings.
• Fatal error when using AMPOWERDIM to access a null pointer.
• Fatal error caused by attaching a drawing to Microsoft Words.
• Fatal error caused by a 3rd party application called Microvellum Toolbox.
• Fatal error during exporting to “r14” format via AECTOACAD command.
• Fatal error when clicking the browse button in "value" column after enabling the new row to add a new property in default list.
• Fatal error in MTEXT editor after drag and drop a drawing file from Windows Explorer to Internet Explorer.
• Fatal error upon save operation if the file title bar exceeds 255 characters.

Bill of Materials, Parts List & Balloons:

• Parts List does not update after editing component mass value. 
• Parts List does not update after adding a Part Reference by copy.
• Exiting from Balloon editing takes a long time.
• Precision of custom Parts List object is not reflected correctly.
• DXFOUT command converts Parts List into a block when objects alone are selected.
• An additional item “Browse...” listed in the dropdown list for custom Balloon.
• Two empty rows in Parts List table of BOM Settings dialog.
• Missing geometries caused by binding (with "Bind" and "Insert") an already loaded external reference.
• Close button of "Parts List" task dialog is not working in Balloon setting dialog box.
• Export of Parts List to Excel format fails.
• No default selection in Filters list for AMPARTLIST.
• Content of part reference is changed after writing a block (WBLOCK) into DXF.

Standard Parts & Features:

• Some standard parts (nuts) are missing after opening certain drawings.
• No prompt pops up when the last instance of a standard component is deleted.
• Not being able to change "Linetype scale" values in the standard part in "PROPERTIES" window.
• Name of hole in hole chart is changed if the hole chart is created with AutoCAD Mechanical 2005.
• Individual linetype scale cannot be applied to standard parts.
• After editing of screw connection, some parts inside the screw connection appear twice in Parts List.

Symbols & Dimension:

• Error with symbols in AutoCAD Mechanical 2008 when opening files from previous releases.
• Inconsistent behavior with Join Dimensions and Tolerances.
• AMNOTE command does not show the correct arrowhead when “arrowhead” is set to “block” in Options.
• Problem with text orientation in Surface Texture.
• Point on dimension lines are snapped when created lines are linked.
• Dimension arrangement is different when rescaling is executed by the AMVPORT command.
• The position of the dimensions is different when the scale is changed by the AMTITLE command.
• Arrow head box shows blank when "Link to dimension style" is unchecked.
• Dimensions are inserted at different positions when Baseline option of AMPOWERDIM is used.
• Default arrowhead of Marking/Stamping symbol and Weld symbol are wrong.
• The display of "Majority" option in surface texture changes.
• Wrong arrow head orientation created in section line.
• Arrow becomes parallel to section line in AMSECTIONLINE command.
• Arrow color for section line is different when saving and opening a drawing with 2 different standards.

2D Structure:

• During editing of structure component, “Break at one Point” removes geometries from structure definition.
• Application hangs after ghost component is converted to new component.
• Cannot copy and paste objects to an activated structure view.
• Hidden attributes in blocks are visible in hide situations.
• File lock is activated on the external references after running AMSETUPDWG twice.

Vault:

• Tree View is showing wrong Vault status icon in structure catalog.
• If you encounter multiple “Checked Out” in the title bar of the drawing dialog, please apply Vault hotfix from the following location :
  http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=11233543&linkID=9242019

API:

• Adding 2 or more Attributes to a Component and externalizing it will result in Fatal Error.
• McadBOMItem.Expanded being not reliable in the case of a newly expanded item.
• Fatal error when closing a drawing which adds AcmSurfaceTexture object using ThisDrawing.Close API.

Other issues fixed:

• Detail view cannot be created when ellipse is offset.
• Error message when opening a 2007 version file exported from AECTOACAD command.
• Font Name is wrong when launching AutoCAD Mechanical 2008 with /t option.
• Fillet or chamfer cannot be created on an open polyline.
• AMVPORT is not working in 64bit version of AutoCAD Mechanical 2008.
• Memory leak problem for _amhatch_45_2 command on certain drawings.
• When moving items, ‘Previous’ selection does not select the previously selected items correctly.
• Objects in layers that are turned off in LAYER dialog become visible again after a COPYCLIP operation.
• Text displayed out of MTEXT box for a drawing that is created in AutoCAD Mechanical 2005.
• Linetype scale, LTSCALE, is not working in paperspace viewport.
• OSNAP is not working on 3D polylines after setting visual style to 3D wireframe.
• Some issues with Stretch command in grip selection.

The following Mechanical Desktop issues are resolved by this Service Pack:

• Fatal error during IGESIN operation of certain files.
• Fatal error when opening certain drawings.
• Fatal error when opening a Mechanical Desktop drawing from a previous release in SDI=1 mode.
• Fatal error when using “MOVE_ALL 0, 0, 1, 1” command after the “AMMODE_M” command.
• Balloon leader can be moved away from the drawing view.
• Error which prevents user to recreate a balloon that has just been erased.
• Arc dimensions are not correct in Mechanical Desktop.
• Unable to change value of dimension in Drawing View.
• Error when exporting hatched detail view to a new layout.
• Fatal error when New/Open command is invoked after running a script.
• Fatal error after running certain scripts simultaneously.
• Failure to create quilt.
• Product hangs in AMADJUSTSF command.

Miscellaneous Notes

Mechanical Desktop 2008, Mechanical Desktop 2008 Hotfix1, Mechanical Desktop 2008 Service Pack 1 and Mechanical Desktop Service Pack 2 use the same file format. All drawing files created in any of these versions are interchangeable.

Autodesk Mechanical Desktop 2008 Service Pack 2 download location

You can download the Mechanical Desktop 2008 Service Pack 2 installer through Live Update or obtain it at the following location:

http://www.autodesk.com/mechdesktop-updates

We want to thank all our customers who identified these issues and reported them to us. These reports give us the opportunity to improve the product and provide you, our customers, with the best possible solution in mechanical design. Autodesk would also like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued business and for the feedback regarding the content of this update release.

Thank you, once again, for your commitment to Autodesk products.

Respectfully,
AutoCAD Mechanical Team